It can take a while to get used to it, but once it clicks, building on the fly in Wild Hearts becomes second nature. I just didn’t expect a Fortnite-esque building mechanic to be at the center of the reinvention. Once I began sparring with some of the more grandiose champions of its roster, it became clear how Wild Hearts was adding to the foundation set by its forebears. Wild Hearts, as part of the modern wave of monster-hunting titles aimed at quality-of-life changes and streamlined tutorials, eased me into its complex cobweb of materials, mechanics, and statuses.

The latter, for me, evolved from hunting with office co-workers in the break room in Monster Hunter Generations to banding together with those same friends remotely through Monster Hunter World and Monster Hunter Rise.ĮA and Dynasty Warriors devs reveal their take on Monster Hunter Past attempts to capture the essence of Capcom’s series, such as Dauntless, didn’t quite nail the core elements - the tension during battle, iconic beasts that are a joy to (inevitably and repeatedly) smack down, and a strong cooperative factor. I was skeptical of Wild Hearts at first, considering how closely it hews to the ethos of Monster Hunter.

Like Death Stranding’s emphasis on communal striving in times of isolation, Wild Hearts urges you to not only help others, but to leave your footprint in their world as well. In a game about venturing into the wilderness to hunt monsters, harvest their parts, and use them to craft stronger gear, it’s the social value of these construction mechanics that makes the largest impact. Crucially, you can also place these aids in other players’ sessions, and they can place them in yours. Vines propel you across improbable distances and wind fans propel you to staggering heights, not just during the expedition on which you created them but in every one after that, too, making subsequent hunts faster and more manageable. These creations don’t just offer temporary aid - they linger in your world indefinitely after you put them in place. If you want curated lists of our favorite media, check out What to Play and What to Watch. When we award the Polygon Recommends badge, it’s because we believe the recipient is uniquely thought-provoking, entertaining, inventive, or fun - and worth fitting into your schedule. Polygon Recommends is our way of endorsing our favorite games, movies, TV shows, comics, tabletop books, and entertainment experiences.

Wild hearts crew logo